It was a very important night for Kyungsoo.
He should be arrived at the art gallery at 7 P.M. for Korean Young Artist Competition exhibition. Meanwhile, it had been 9 P.M. now. Kyungsoo was never been so late. Two hours late just because his motor scooter had a flat tire that he had to find a repair shop, but then there is a glitch in his scooter’s battery so he had to leave his scooter and go by the subway. Unfortunately, Kyungsoo just remembered that he had to buy a flower bouquet for Jongin. So he went to a flower shop before he went to the subway station.

The subway station was full of people on that Saturday night. Kyungsoo was obliged to through these hustle and bustle. He took care of a white carnations bouquet with both his hands. He had prepared the beautiful flower for this special night. He had also planned to confess to Jongin. 

Jongin was more than a best friend to Kyungsoo. The white carnations represented his honesty and sincerity. A friendship and a pure love. Beyond admiration and dedication.

After a short journey by the subway. Kyungsoo finally arrived at Cheongdam-dong area, where the art gallery was. He walked to the avenue as he was looking for Jongin there.
Suddenly Kyungsoo saw a furniture truck ran in a high speed. He saw the driver was a bit drunk that he drove the truck uncontrollably. The truck lost the brake and hit a person on the sidewalk before it crashed into the pavements and a building.

An accident.

Kyungsoo watched it happened very fast. He even forgot to blink.
The crowds of people surrounded the accident victim. Kyungsoo ran into the crowd. He saw the truck driver was dead as his body was crush inside the truck. Some furnitures were overthrown out from the truck. The building wall was destroyed. But Kyungsoo was stunned when he saw the dead victim near the truck. The person whom hit by the truck was a young man. 
“Jongin?”

Kyungsoo knew the man. Kyungsoo recognized well the face of a lying body on the street with blood spilled everywhere. He saw a golden trophy with bloodstains near the corpse.

“No!” Kyungsoo screamed.

The white carnations bouquet fell from Kyungsoo’s hand, onto the hard asphalt surface.
The dead man was Jongin.

“Somebody help! Somebody please save him!” cried Kyungsoo as he approached the dead man. “Jongin! Wake up! Please, don’t die! Jongin…!”
Some people tried to move Kyungsoo away from Jongin’s body.
“He’s my friend! He’s my best friend! Somebody please call the ambulance!” shrieked Kyungsoo. He cried so hard until his throat soared. 
Kyungsoo cries hopelessly to Jongin’s body.

Everything happened very fast. Kyungsoo passed out as he could not bear the pain.

It was a very sad situation in such beautiful summer night.
Everything remained as memories.

*

It has been a year since Jongin passed away. However, the incident is still fresh in Kyungsoo’s memory. It always feels like yesterday. It sneaks into Kyungsoo’s sleep and haunts his dream. 

“Was it my fault?” asked Kyungsoo to himself while he sits on his bed and watches the dreamcatcher that hung on his bedroom the wall.

Summer is not a delicate season anymore for Kyungsoo. Summer always reminds him to Jongin and the pain. Summer drifts Kyungsoo into such pensive mood.

“If only I wasn’t late that time. If only I came on time to the gallery. Jongin wouldn’t cross the street and hit by the truck,” Kyungsoo mourns. 

He takes down the dreamcatcher. “You were gone, but this part of you still accompanies me and protects my dream. Thank you Jongin.”

Kyungsoo hangs the dreamcatcher back on the wall. Then he takes a small-size canvas full of painting beside his bed and puts it in a canvas bag.

That morning at the end of summer, Kyungsoo drives his motor scooter along the street. He smells the fresh air. He sees some people go to some shops or cafes in the city. Life goes on as the people move on. He remembers those times when he used to ride his scooter with Jongin. He misses Jongin who used to sit behind him.

Kyungsoo sees the avenue where Jongin’s accident was happened. They had repaired the building wall which was hit by the truck that night. Everything looks fine as if there was never a truck accident. As if it was only a nightmare which is over when you wake up. As if the memory of it is such a curse in Kyungsoo’s mind.

As Kyungsoo arrives, he parks his motor scooter outside the art gallery. He walks in as he brings along his painting. The gallery belongs to Jongin’s parents. His father is a famous painter and his mother is an interior designer. They put Jongin’s artworks in their art gallery so that people can remember him forever. The atmosphere of the gallery always reminds Kyungsoo of Jongin. As if his spirit of art always stays here. 

Kyungsoo approaches the corner where Jongin’s urn is placed. He takes the canvas in his bag and put the painting beside the lapis lazuli urn. 
It shows a painting of the dreamcatcher . 

“I painted this dreamcatcher to protect your dreams in this gallery, because this place is full of your artworks. You had gone, but your dreams still remain here,” said Kyungsoo as he wipes the urn with his fingers.

Beside the painting, Kyungsoo puts a greeting card with some words on it. A sonnet is written on it.
 

The night at the beginning of autumn is lovely. The trees are yellow and hazel illuminated by the streetlights. However, the wind is too cold that the window of a room on the 12th apartment floor in Jayang-dong is closed. 
Kyungsoo curls up in his blanket. Slowly he enters the realm of dream. 
He wish not to have a nightmare. He promises himself not to keep the bad memories in his mind.

The swirling mist of Kyungsoo’s mind enters him to the realm of dream. This time his dream is not dark. It has dim light instead. 
Kyungsoo is walking down the lane. At the end of the lane, there is a silhouette under a lamppost.
He knows the familiar silvery figure of a man with a mask on his face.
“Kai,” said Kyungsoo.

The figure walks to Kyungsoo. “Hello again, Kyungsoo.”
“What are you doing here? In my dream.” Kyungsoo confuses.
“I’m always here,” said Kai. “I might be disappear forever from your world. Maybe you can’t see me in your consciousness. But I’m always here, inside your dream, protecting you from nightmares,” added him.

Kyungsoo is touched. “I thought you were gone forever.” 
This time Kai gives a warmest smile. “How can I leave my beloved person? I did disappear forever from reality. But I am still exist inside your dreams.”
“What do you mean?” Kyungsoo has no idea.

Kai slowly opens his mask. He shows his face to Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo is very shocked seeing the face behind the mask.
“Jo-Jongin?!” Kyungsoo feels the tightness in his chest. “Is that really you?”

The figure of nightmare-eater who always protects his dream is Kyungsoo’s own beloved person. His best friend. His endless love. The one he can never forget forever. 
“This is really me, Kyungsoo. I’m Jongin,” the man approaches the helpless Kyungsoo.
“Kai is my reflection. I am not alive anymore. The only way to protect you is making my soul reflection in a form of a dream-eater spirit,” Kai’s strange voice has changed into the usual Jongin’s warm voice.
Jongin sighs. “But I am not a real being. I am just a reflection. By the time the reality hits me, I will disappear. And human is the reality itself,” explained him.

Kyungsoo wishes Jongin won’t disappear when he touches him in the dream. 
“I don’t care whether you are real or not. As long as you are Jongin, or Kai, or whoever you are. Don’t you dare to disappear. Please don’t leave me alone anymore,” Kyungsoo begs.

Jongin’s figure embraces Kyungsoo. The warmth and the smell is Jongin’s. Kyungsoo never forgets it. This is Jongin that he knows. Even if it’s just a dream.
“I won’t leave you Kyungsoo. Even when the death do us part. I will always watch you from another universe,” Jongin vows.
Kyungsoo tries to reach Jongin’s lips. “Me too. I supposed to confess my love to you that night when you won the painting contest.” He can taste the soft skin of Jongin’s lips.

“Meet me in your dreams, Kyungsoo.” Jongin brushes Kyungsoo’s hair with his fingers. “Think about beautiful things and have a sweet dream with me.”
Kyungsoo nods. “I will. I will stay here forever with you, Jongin. We can create beautiful arts here.”

They kiss and drown in their own paradise realm of dream.
The scene is too beautiful and too perfect that Kyungsoo doesn’t want it to end. He doesn’t want to wake from the dream. 

But the light of the sun wakes him soon as the morning rises.
Everything looks so bright. Kyungsoo hopes he will be alright.
 

Kyungsoo is tired.
He is so tired with all the dreams and nightmares. He is tired of living without Jongin. His mind is oscillated between Jongin and Kai. He is tired to think about the real and unreal thing.
Kyungsoo is tired of being lonely. He is tired with his own sorrow and solitude. He is tired that everyone worries about his condition but he himself cannot overcome his agony. He is tired with the guilt in his heart. He had tried to forgive himself but he failed.

Kyungsoo feels exhausted and weary but he is fully awake. His heart beats fast. He wants to sleep but he cannot sleep now. He wishes to have an exquisite dream again with Jongin inside it. He hates his insomnia sometimes.

Meanwhile, there is a painting on a canvas easel inside Kyungsoo’s room.

The colors are a composition of gray, faded yellow, dark blue, hazy violet, bloody red and eerie black. Kyungsoo used a mixture of burnt umber and alizarin crimson to produce those colors.

The picture is very gloomy and dark. A picture of a man died being hit by a truck. His blood is everywhere. There is a huge truck near the lying body. The man is surrounded by crowds of people. The moonlight shines ironically beautiful at night sky of the painting.

At the bottom-edge of the canvas, there are words written on a small post-it paper. 
It’s written: “A Memory of Summer Nocturne” in Kyungsoo’s handwriting.

Kyungsoo is lying on his bed. He holds a photograph of Jongin on his chest.
That night he swallows too many Zolpidem pills.
Kyungsoo will never wake up anymore.

He is tired. 
He is too tired with everything.